Those of us who live with and love our pets consider them to be important members of the family. When choosing the flooring materials we use in our home, therefore, we should give careful thought to how they might affect the comfort of our four-footed companions, and how well they will stand up to claws, muddy paws and the inevitable pet accident. Whether you own a cat or dog (or both), few flooring materials are friendlier to pets and their owners than concrete. Here are a few of the reasons why.

1) They resist pet stains and odors.When the pores in concrete are sealed with a protective film-forming sealer or floor finish, pet urine can’t seep into the floor and leave behind lingering odors and stains. While we always recommend sealing concrete floors, if your concrete is unsealed and urine stains happen to occur, there are products you can use to remove them that work well on concrete, such as Urine Off from Bio-Pro Research.

2) They are easy to clean.
When your pets shed fur or race through your home with rain-soaked or muddy paws, cleaning up after them is no sweat if your floors are concrete. Just give the floor a few swipes with a broom, towel or mop, and the mess is history.

3) They won’t trap pet dander, fleas or mites.
In addition to fur, pets shed animal dander (flakes of skin) that can aggravate allergies in people who are sensitive. Smooth floor surfaces like concrete won’t trap this dander the way carpet will, making the dander easy to remove during routine cleaning. Concrete floors also won’t harbor fleas or mites that your pet may carry into the home.

4) They are nontoxic.
Synthetic carpets can emit volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, as can some of the products that accompany carpet installation such as adhesives and padding. Some of the adhesives used under vinyl sheet goods and linoleum can also emit VOCs. Concrete floors, stained with nontoxic pigments, do not release VOCs that can be harmful to you as well as your pets.

5) They are scratch resistant.
Playful, rambunctious pets and their claws can really scratch up hardwood flooring. Concrete floors are inherently scratch resistant, and when protected with a good sealer or floor wax, they are virtually scratchproof.

6) You can heat them.
Because hot air rises, many homes tend to be colder at floor level. And since that’s where your pets spend most of their time eating, sleeping and playing, the ability to warm up concrete floors with radiant heating will keep your pets comfortable while saving big money on your energy bills. And money saved is money you can now use to pamper your pets in style!

Maintaining High-Traffic Polished Concrete Floors

Although polished concrete floors are extremely durable through the densification and polishing process, they will eventually lose their beautiful shine if not properly maintained, especially if they are located in high-traffic commercial or retail facilities. The good news is that while polished concrete floors are not maintenance-free, they generally are easier to maintain than other types of decorative concrete floors, since they require no waxing or sealers.

Routine maintenance for polished floors consists of daily dust mopping to remove dirt and grime accumulation that can abrade the surface of polished concrete. Frequent wet mopping is also needed. Although only clean water can be used, you’ll have greater success using a floor cleaner to suspend the dirt particles so they can be more easily removed.

Mr. Clean Maintenance Systems, Bloomington, Calif., which specializes in maintaining, sealing and restoring polished concrete floors, recommends using only neutral-ph cleaners on polished concrete, since a cleaner that is too acidic or too alkaline will deteriorate the concrete and dull the shine of the floor. The correct type of floor pad also needs to be used to prevent concrete surface damage. Mr. Clean recommends using very soft pads on polished floors to clean the surface without scratching or etching.

The exact maintenance regimen needed and the frequency of cleaning is largely dictated by amount of traffic the floors receives. High-traffic areas will require more frequent cleaning.

Checklist for maintaining polished floors:

Dust mop the floor daily with a microfiber pad to keep dirt particles off the floor. Soils act as an abrasive and can ruin the clarity and shine of polished concrete.

If wet mopping the floor, always use clean water and clean mops. Use an automatic floor scrubber equipped with a nonabrasive pad to clean large square footage areas. Mop and bucket cleaning can be used in smaller areas.

When wet mopping, use a neutral floor cleaner formulated to suspend the dirt particles so they can be more easily removed. Using water only leaves much of the dirt on the floor, where it will eventually abrade and discolor the surface.

Try to clean spills and stains from the floor as quickly as possible so they don’t absorb into the surface.

Give the cleaner enough time to start breaking down the grime, such grease and other contaminants, and then suspend the particles. If you apply a cleaning agent and then immediately vacuum it or mop it from the surface, the cleaner will not have sufficient time to work.

Make sure the cleaning solution does not dry on the surface. This can be accomplished by cleaning small areas and making sure the entire process is complete before moving on to other areas.

Caring For Your Stained Concrete

No type of flooring material is truly maintenance free, and the same holds true for decorative concrete. While concrete floors are relatively easy to care for when compared with other types of flooring (especially carpet), they do require regular attention. How much maintenance your floor will need largely depends on the amount of traffic it receives. The maintenance needs of a residential floor will be much different than those for a floor in a high-traffic commercial or retail environment.

In most cases, residential concrete floors experience light foot traffic, and a simple cleaning regimen of occasional sweeping and damp mopping will keep them looking like new for many years. Protecting concrete floors with a good film-forming sealer and a coat of floor finish or wax will make them even more resistant to stains, chemicals and abrasion.

General Decorative Concrete Maintenance Tips

Here are some tips to make your concrete floors as easy to maintain as possible:

Avoid floor designs with sawcut patterns, since the narrow cuts in the surface can trap dirt.

Unless the floor is polished, always keep it protected with a good floor sealer. This top layer of protection not only prolongs the life of your floor, it can also enhance its appearance

For further protection against stains, dirt and abrasion, apply a good commercial-grade floor wax designed for concrete floors. This sacrificial finish will help to preserve the sealer and is easy to reapply if it begins to wear

In areas of heavy traffic, such as entrances and foyers, reduce maintenance and wear and tear by using floor mats, both inside and outside of the entryways.

Concrete floors are a good choice for pet owners because they won’t trap pet dander and allow easy cleanup of muddy paws and pet accidents. Just give the floor a few swipes with a broom, towel or mop, and the mess is history